A Kind Of Magic
by brilliantdances
Summary: What if Arthur was the one to get the visions and magic instead of Morgana? Possible eventual Merlin/Arthur slash.
1. Prologue

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

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**PROLOGUE**

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Arthur was running; however, he didn t know what from. As he tore through the forest, the day melted into night. Arthur could feel whatever was chasing him start to close in. Feeling it was the right time; Arthur spun around and pulled out his sword, holding it up as if daring the creature to area in front of him, however, was vacant. There was no creature there. Arthur took a few steps back, listening intently for any noise or movement. He wanted to be ready for when the creature appeared. He stood completely still for a few moments before he heard a rustle somewhere near to him. He turned quickly towards the direction of the sound, ready for action. After he had stood for what seemed to be a long time, Arthur let himself relax. He found himself a tad disappointed that nothing had showed up. He put his sword back in his belt before walking at a fast, yet cautious, pace back to where Merlin had put the horses. Before Arthur had gone after the creature he had told Merlin to stay put. He had wanted to survey the area before they made any sudden moves. When Arthur came into view of the horses, Merlin jumped up quickly from where he was sitting.

"Merlin!" Arthur called out. "Where are the knights?" "

"I'm not sure, Sire. I thought they were with you."

"Well, as you can see, they are _not_." Arthur said, watching in annoyance as Merlin swallowed nervously. "Where are they?"

"I heard a noise from over there," Merlin said, pointing to his right. "Sir Leon and Sir Kay went to follow it. The others I m not sure." Arthur was about to hash a surly retort when a sudden, shrill scream pierced the air. Arthur and Merlin exchanged a glance before running in the direction it had come from. Arthur unsheathed his sword again as he and Merlin barged into a clearing where Arthur s knights were in mid-battle with a large creature. One that looked exactly like a small dragon. Arthur jumped in on the action almost immediately. The dragon-like creature was huge, and tough. After a few minutes of fighting it, Arthur was starting to have doubts. He turned his back to tell his knights to retreat when the dragon dove forward, knocking Arthur and the nights over. He heard Merlin call his name before the dragon opened its mouth and a big ball of fire washed over Arthur, burning every inch of his skin...

* * *

Arthur woke up right then in a sweat. He sat up in bed and took a deep breath once he realized that it had been only a dream. Also realizing that it was light out, Arthur got out of bed and was about to call for Merlin when he remembered that he had given his manservant the day off. _What for, again?_ He wondered bitterly. Merlin had certainly not earned it. Just as Arthur dressed himself and began his daily routine, the door to his chambers opened and Merlin entered, carrying his breakfast. Arthur stared at him. Merlin's eyebrows creased in confusion after seeing Arthur's expression.

"Is something the matter, Sire?" he questioned.

"Yes," Arthur stated. "Didn't I give you the day off?"

"No," Merlin frowned.

"But I could have sword that yesterday I decided to give you the day off."

"If you did, you certainly didn't tell me about it." Merlin joked. "Is giving me the day off something you would actually do?"

"I'm not that bad," Arthur muttered.

"No, you're worse." Merlin said happily, so Arthur knew he was teasing.

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't give you the day off." Arthur said. "There's loads of things I need you to do."

"Let me guess, mucking the stables?"

"Good place to start," Arthur grinned just as his door burst open again and this time it was Sir Leon at the other side.

"Your father wishes to speak with you immediately," Leon announced. "It's an urgent matter."

"Thank you," Arthur said as Sir Leon bowed politely before exiting the room and closing it behind him. Arthur turned to follow Sir Leon out the door.

"Looks like your chores can wait," he called to Merlin.

"Why do I have to go?" Merlin called back in annoyance.

"Because," Arthur replied. "Just because."

* * *

When Arthur and Merlin entered the Throne Room, almost everyone else of importance was already assembled. Arthur hurried over to his place in the room while Merlin went to go stand beside Gaius. The King, Arthur's father, was standing up, looking impatient.

"There've been reports of a creature terrorizing the townspeople and other villages," Uther said, getting straight to the point. Arthur nodded in comprehension.

"What kind of creature?" he asked.

"It's been said that it has the body of a dragon and it breathes actual fire. Although small, many are dead." Arthur's attention snapped up to his father. If he wasn't paying attention then, he sure was now.

"A... a small dragon?" Arthur asked, feeling his mouth start to go dry. His dream. It had to be a coincidence. It had to be.

"You and the knights will ride out in two hours," Uther ordered.

"Certainly, Father." Arthur said, while picturing the dragon-like creature from his dream.

"Council dismissed," Uther said before sitting down. Arthur walked away, deciding to do the daily training early.

"Arthur!" Merlin called, hurrying to catch up.

"You can get on with mucking out the stables before we leave," Arthur told him. Merlin just nodded hesitantly before turning around. Arthur went to find a sword.

* * *

TBC...

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**A/N: I always wanted to see a really good 'Arthur gets his own magic' fic, so I decided to write it! Not that it's going to be really good, but it's my first try writing Merlin fanfic, so I hope I don't fail miserably at least!**

**Please tell me what you think, both good and bad! I won't be able to update for a while probably because exams are next week, but I'll try my best. :)**

**ALSO: The title is a placeholder until I think of something better.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

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**CHAPTER ONE**

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_This is really creepy_, Arthur thought as he was stalking through the forest, feeling like there was something after him. This was exactly like his dream. And by exactly, he meant _exactly_. Arthur put his sword back into his belt as he headed towards the clearing where the horses were. Like his dream, his knights were nowhere to be seen and Merlin was jumping up from where he was sitting.

"Merlin, where are the knights?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not sure, sire. I thought they were with you." Merlin responded. Arthur frowned.

"Well, as you can see, they are _not_. Where are they?" Arthur turned and headed into the woods before he heard Merlin's response. He knew what Merlin was going to say, after all. Everything else had been the same so far, so why not that? On cue, a sudden, shrill scream pierced through the air. Arthur picked up his pace and he heard Merlin start running behind him. Arthur felt his whole body seize up when he saw the creature. It was a dragon-like creature. The spitting image of the one in his dream. _That can't be right_, Arthur thought. It just wasn't possible.

"Arthur!" he heard Merlin call. Arthur snapped out of his daze and immediately jumped into the fight just as he had in the dream. The only thing was... he was going to die? He had in his dream, hadn't he? The dragon had burnt them all to a crisp. Arthur decided to avoid that at all costs.

"Retreat!" he called to the knights. Obeying, every knight took some steps back. Arthur included. Arthur's mind was running in overdrive trying to think of something to do. It was obvious that his sword wouldn't do anything against the creature. Arthur moved slightly to the left as the creature aimed and struck at him. Arthur closed his eyes and attacked the creature once more in a futile attempt. Of course, it did nothing to deter the creature's efforts. If anything, it made it even angrier. Arthur took a few steps back again, thinking. He'd been able to kill bigger creatures with just his sword. Surely he would be able to... He paused as the creature towered above him and opened its mouth. Arthur immediately dove forward, just narrowly missing the flames. He got up and started running away from the creature. He could hear his knights following behind him. Arthur heard the roars of the creature just as they reached the clearing where the horses were.

"We cannot do this, Sire." One of the knights spoke up. "You saw it." _Yeah,_ Arthur thought. _Twice. _Arthur was about to untie his horse when he noticed something.

"Where's Merlin?" Arthur demanded, looking at the knights.

"I thought he followed us..." Sir Leon said, trailing off. "I saw him follow us."

"Bloody hell," Arthur muttered while running back into the direction they had come.

"Merlin!" he shouted. "Come on!" No answer. It was completely silent. Arthur was about to call the knights when he saw movement from one of the bushes. Sure enough, his manservant emerged. Arthur let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"There you are, you idiot. Why didn't you follow us?"

"Erm," Merlin said. "I ran the other way. So you didn't see me." Arthur grunted.

"Fine, whatever. Just come on. We need to report to my father." Merlin nodded and followed Arthur back to the horses where they got on and headed back to the castle.

* * *

"It breathed fire like a dragon, but it wasn't a dragon." Arthur was explaining later. "It was too small and it had fur."

"Fur?" King Uther questioned sceptically.

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "The knights all saw it. I am sorry to report that the beast is still out there."

"That's unfortunate," Uther said. "You will ride again come morning."

"But Father-"

"No buts about it. This creature is killing villagers. You have no choice." Arthur let out a sigh.

"Yes, Father."

"You're dismissed." Arthur got up to leave when suddenly a woman from the back of the court spoke up.

"You are mistaken, Sire." She said. Uther frowned down at the intruder.

"And who are you and who gave you permission to talk?" The woman cowered before continuing.

"I-I'm nobody, Sire. But you are mistaken. The creature is dead."

"Excuse me?" Uther questioned. "But my son, the Crown Prince, said that it was still alive."

"I did not kill it," Arthur confirmed.

"But it is _dead_," the woman said. "My husband went out for a stroll and saw the carcass." Uther turned to look at Arthur.

"Is what she's saying true?"

"I'm not sure, Father. If it is dead then I'm not the one who killed it."

"Well then, a few of the knights will go out to confirm this. Show them the way," he told the woman who nodded and scurried out with a couple of volunteers from the knights followed.

* * *

The council remained in place until the group came back a while later.

"It is true, Sire, the creature is dead." Sir Kay reported.

"But how, if Arthur hadn't killed it."

"I swear I didn't, Father. Not unless a blow I dealt was strong enough to have killed it later one after we retreated."

"Then it is possible."

"Possible, but not likely." Gaius had spoken next.

"There will be an investigation," Uther spoke. "You are all dismissed."

* * *

Arthur was in his chambers later and Merlin had just fetched him his dinner.

"You're free to go," Arthur said sullenly right after that. Merlin looked up in confusion.

"Is something the matter?"

"Yes," Arthur said. "I'm worried about that creature. I am completely sure that I did not kill it. Then how did it die?"

"I'm not sure, Sire," Merlin said quietly, moving away to tidy some things up.

"It just does not make any sense."

"No," Merlin agreed. "Well, I'll be going now."

"Okay," Arthur said, not in the mood to say anything more. Merlin nodded and quietly left the room. Arthur looked up a few minutes later and realized that Merlin hadn't shut the door behind him. Arthur grumbled to himself, not wanting to get up. He felt a burst of frustration and was about to get into his bed when the door, which was wide open, slammed shut. Arthur jumped in shock, staring at it. That certainly was odd. He tried to rack his mind with all sorts of possibilities, but couldn't come up with any that made sense. If someone else closed it for him, they wouldn't have slammed it. Just closed it nicely. Arthur shook his head. There was obviously a good explanation for it. He was, however, too tired to think of one. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

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**A/N: I didn't think I'd have another chapter up so soon. Sorry for the shortness of it though. I'll try to make them longer as I go along!**

**Also: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you guys like it so far. **

**To answer a question, I've decided that the story takes place just at the beginning of season 2. I plan on using some of the episodes as guidelines for the story, but not all of them, just a few. Other than that, there'll be the original plot line (Arthur's magic) and other original non-episode things. Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A**** KIND OF MAGIC**

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**CHAPTER TWO**

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It had to be done, Merlin knew. Even though the King had decided to launch an investigation surrounding the creature's death and would likely find him out, Merlin couldn't bring himself to regret killing it. It would have killed many more innocent people if he hadn't. Suspiciousness of it be damned. Unless Arthur or the knights happened to speak up about his lagging behind the last night, he should be safe anyway. He shook his head, tossing and turning in his bed. He found himself having difficulties getting to sleep. He blamed it on the events of the previous night. Merlin sat up in bed, wondering how close it was to morning.

He got out of bed and started towards the door, hoping it was a decent hour to be up when he heard low voices talking on the other side of the door. Merlin very quietly opened the door a crack to see Gaius up, talking to Arthur. _What was he doing here? _Merlin wondered. The only explanation Merlin could come up with was that Arthur put two and two together about the creature's death. Merlin felt himself pale. He was about to go out to try to defend himself when he heard what they were talking about. It certainly wasn't Merlin.

"I wouldn't normally ask this," Arthur was saying. "But I feel it will interfere with my duties. I don't want to disappoint my father."

"Of course, Sire. I understand. So nightmares, right? About anything in particular?" Arthur was quiet for a moment.

"No," Arthur said quickly. "Just nightmares. I was hoping you could give me something for them. So it won't interfere with my duties."

"I might actually have just the thing," Gaius said, getting up and going towards the potion shelf, picking through some of the things before his hand closed on one in particular.

"A sleeping draft," Gaius announced. "You should be able to sleep soundly with this."

"Thank you, Gaius." Arthur said. "This stays between you and me. That's an order."

"Of course, Sire." Gaius replied before Arthur got up and left the rooms. Gaius got up and headed towards Merlin's door. Merlin quickly slipped back into bed and pretended to be asleep. Merlin could feel Gaius's eyes on him until he left again. Merlin sighed. So, Arthur was having nightmares? Merlin wasn't surprised, with all of the duties Arthur had to do, including killing creatures that should only exist in children's nightmares or fiction.

* * *

Merlin had lain still for a while, he might have actually dozed off, before he had decided to get up.

"You're finally up," Gaius said when he saw Merlin emerge.

"What?" Merlin asked, faking being groggy.

"You're going to be late for your duties, Merlin." Gaius said. Merlin gaped at him. How long had he been lying there?

"Oh," he said before running out of the doors and heading to the kitchens to get Arthur's breakfast. Merlin hurried to Arthur's chambers, not bothering to knock before entering. As expected, Arthur was sitting in bed, watching Merlin enter with a scowl on his face. Merlin made himself smile.

"Sorry I'm late, Sire. I slept in."

"Don't make a habit of it," Arthur muttered.

"'Course not." Merlin said, setting Arthur's breakfast down and moving to tidy a few things up. He frowned when he noticed that Arthur's room was in a bit of a disarray. "Um, what happened in here?" he dared ask aloud. Arthur stared at him.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"It's _your_ room."

"And?" Arthur asked, face blank.

"Nothing," Merlin sighed. Arthur probably did this on purpose to add to his misery. Arthur had done it before, when Merlin had just started as his manservant and he wouldn't put it past Arthur to start it up again. Merlin went to tidy the room, putting things back where they should be. It wasn't until Merlin was starting to feel uncomfortable in the silence when Arthur spoke.

"Merlin," he said.

"Yes, Sire?" Merlin replied, eyeing the prince.

"This may be a peculiar question, but last night…" _Crap!_ Merlin thought. Arthur knew that Merlin was listening to his conversation with Gaius! How, he didn't know, but he did.

"I didn't mean to," Merlin blurted out. "I was already awake and I couldn't help but overhear." Arthur frowned.

"Overhear…" he trailed off.

"I'm sorry," Merlin said quickly. "It won't happen again."

"Just what _are_ you talking about?" Arthur said. Merlin watched Arthur's face as he finally comprehended.

"My talk with Gaius," Arthur said. "You heard us." Merlin nodded his head, confused. Isn't that what Arthur was going to talk about?

"You can't tell anyone," Arthur said, staring at Merlin with seriousness. "Or… or else."

"I won't, I swear." Merlin said. "But if not that, what were you going to say about last night…?"

"Just…" Arthur said, hesitating. "Last night, when I dismissed you, you left the door open."

"Did I?" Merlin questioned.

"Yes," Arthur said. "Did you by any chance come back to close it… I don't know, in an angry manner?"

"No," Merlin said. "I didn't even know I left it open. Sorry, Sire."

"Hmm," Arthur said. "Okay then." Feeling that the conversation was over, Merlin got back to work. The door to his room? That certainly was an odd thing for the prince to be asking about.

"Ask around about that," Arthur ordered. "Find out who slammed my door shut last night."

"Yes, Sire." Merlin said, frowning. "But why?"

"Because it was disrespectful," Arthur said with a scoff. "They need to be punished."

"Of course," Merlin muttered. "Prat."

"What was that?" Arthur questioned in what Merlin calls Arthur's 'fake annoyance.'

"Nothing, nothing…" Merlin said, feeling an urge to laugh. Of course, this was just like Arthur.

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**A/N: Thank you everyone for all of the nice reveiws! I'm so happy that you are enjoying it so far! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 3

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

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**CHAPTER THREE**

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The whole incident with the door to his chambers was quickly forgotten as even stranger things had begun to happen to Arthur. That wasn't even including the dreams. The dreams, which had all come to pass in waking hours. The dragon-creature seemed to be only the beginning. Another dream he had was about gargoyles coming to life and attacking the villagers. That had come true. Merlin had been right about Cedric, much to Arthur's disbelief. Arthur had never spoken to anyone about his dreams. Not even Gaius. A few times, though, in private, Gaius had asked Arthur how his nightmares were. Arthur had lied every time and said that they were gone. He somehow really wanted to tell someone, but he wasn't sure that he would be believed. They would most certainly just humour him because he's the Crown Prince. Or worse, they would blame sorcery. Arthur had still taken Gaius's sleeping draft, however. It was a plausible reason to give to Gaius why his nightmares had stopped.

Despite the sleeping draft he had gotten from Gaius, it had only gotten worse from there.

Arthur awoke one night from a really bad nightmare to a loud noise, a feeling of energy, and he sat up to find half of his room on fire. He tripped over his bed and called for the guards in a strangled voice. Once the flames had been put out, Arthur was sent to meet with his father. They had discussed possible scenarios. Arthur had said he thought it was arson, an attempt at his life, while his father, no surprise, had said he was positive it was sorcery. Arthur had told his father that he didn't think so, but now, hours later, he was sitting in his room and thinking about it. Setting his room on fire with sorcery would be a… an interesting way to kill him, that was for sure. He was baffled though, that whoever it was, obviously thought that they would get away with it.

"Sire?" a voice asked. Arthur looked up to see Gaius standing outside of his open door, hand poised to knock.

"Come in," Arthur granted.

"I wish to speak with you about the events of… last night."

"There's nothing to discuss," Arthur said. "My father says it's sorcery, so that's what it is."

"He may be right," Gaius said. "It was investigated, and that fire didn't start by any natural means." Arthur started to feel a little dizzy.

"But, why? Who?"

"I'm not sure, Sire. The King has ordered a full investigation to find the culprit."

"Good," Arthur said. "If someone was using magic as an attempt on my life they should be caught. You're dismissed." Gaius bowed politely before leaving Arthur alone in his chambers to think some more.

* * *

Merlin was sitting at the table when Gaius entered the room.

"I just came from speaking with the prince," Gaius said. Merlin looked up.

"And? Was it magic?"

"That's the most logical conclusion," Gaius said. "There was no evidence of arson, or anyway the fire could have started by natural means. Arthur had no candles in his room."

"Oh," Merlin said. "Who could have done it? Nimueh is dead, so it couldn't have been her."

"I wonder myself," Gaius said. "Has Arthur ever said anything to you about his nightmares?"

"Not really," Merlin said. "He found out I overheard your talk and it wasn't brought up again."

"Anything strange?" Gaius asked. Merlin started at Gaius curiously.

"Strange like what?"

"I'm not sure. There has to be something. Maybe Arthur's been targeted by someone. Anything at all would be of help."

"Well," Merlin said. "I'm not sure if this is anything, but a while ago Arthur asked me if I left his door open. I didn't remember doing so. He then told me that someone walked up to his door and slammed it shut. He called it disrespectful."

"That's odd," Gaius said thoughtfully.

"Do you know something?" Merlin asked.

"No," Gaius said. "Nothing concrete. Just keep a close eye on Arthur."

"Okay," Merlin said hesitantly. Isn't that what he did anyway? "I will."

"I'm going out. I need to speak to the King about something."

"Okay," Merlin agreed. He had some things he had to do as well. He watched as Gaius exited and then he went to where he slept and pulled out his magic book. He started flipping through the pages, looking for anything.

* * *

It was the next day. Arthur awoke to Merlin and his breakfast.

"You're early." Arthur stated.

"Yeah, and?" Merlin questioned. "Is that allowed?"

"You tell me," Arthur grumbled. Merlin handed over Arthur's breakfast. Merlin didn't say anything, just grinned. "Ugh, how can you be so cheery this early in the morning?"

"It's not _that_ early." Arthur just grumbled again before starting to eat his breakfast. His latest dream was still fresh in his mind. In this dream, his father got remarried to a woman who turned out to be a troll. Arthur felt relief at the fact that it was one dream that he could count on not coming true. Arthur finished the rest of his breakfast and gave the plate back to Merlin.

"You're quiet today," Merlin commented.

"Shut up," Arthur said passively.

"I mean, it's completely understandable. Considering what had happened."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh, of course." Merlin said. "I just thought..."

"You thought wrong," Arthur snapped. At the back of his mind, he knew that Merlin didn't deserve it, but he was very annoyed. He was tired of almost everyone trying to talk to him about the fire. Why couldn't anyone understand that? Arthur was just about to order Merlin to leave the room when a knight came into the room.

"The King has requested your presence." Arthur nodded, thankful for a distraction.

"Thank you." He got up and silently headed to the Throne Room with Merlin following behind. As he walked into the door, he immediately saw his father talking to someone. A woman. Arthur headed into the room to get a closer look when Uther turned around.  
"Arthur." He said. Arthur nodded, waiting to see what his father had to say. The woman turned around to face him and Arthur felt his whole body stiffen with shock. This was the woman from his dream!

"Father?" Arthur questioned.

"This is the Lady Catrina. She will be staying at the castle for a while."

"No!" Arthur blurted.

"I beg your pardon?" Uther asked in astonishment.

"I mean... no problem!" Arthur quickly covered. "It's a pleasure." He said politely to the lady. She smiled and curtsied in return. Arthur's mind raced. So if this was a dream that would come to pass, this woman was really a troll. Arthur wanted to laugh, but he couldn't. It's not like he could tell his father the truth. He wouldn't believe him.

* * *

Later, when Arthur was alone in his chambers, he was lying on his bed, thinking about the troll. He was really at a loss. He didn't know what to do. He rolled over and felt his whole body tingling. He sat up and felt air rushing around in his head. Arthur tried to call out to someone for help, but he found no sound coming from his mouth. When the tingling sensations lessened, Arthur felt better. In fact, he felt amazing. Like he had all of this energy that he didn't have before. Arthur wanted to go outside and train with the knights to use up the energy. He got off the bed, and headed to the door.

Of course, that turned out to not have been a good idea.

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**A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry! It's been a long while. I've just been very busy, but now it should be okay. I'll try to update more often, I promise! I'm not giving up on this story. Thanks to all the kind reviewers and readers!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

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Arthur soon realized that going to train with the knights in his energized state was a very bad idea. When the training was over, Arthur was sitting on the ground, gasping as Gaius attended to two of the knights. While they were training, Arthur was putting his all into it, and the knight he was training with flew backwards as if by some strong wind. This had happened twice before Arthur decided to call off the training.

"Don't tell Father about any of this," Arthur pleaded to Gaius. "He'll say it's sorcery and doesn't he have enough on his plate?"

"I won't tell him," Gaius said. "I guess the same sorcerer who tried to kill you is trying to harm the knights?"

"Yes," Arthur said. "That is the most logical explanation." But something didn't sit right with Arthur in regards to it.

"Sire," Gaius said. "I wish to discuss something with you soon, if that's alright."

"Certainly," Arthur said. "Come to my chambers when you have time."

"Yes, Sire." Gaius bowed and finished tending the knights. To Arthur's relief, they looked like they would be just fine. Arthur was walking down the hallway when he heard whispers from some of the maids. Arthur looked over at them and they stopped abruptly. Arthur walked over once he saw Gwen.

"May I ask what that was about?" he questioned.

"Oh, we were just talking about the King's new lady-friend." Gwen replied slowly. "It's going around that he's going to propose marriage to her."

"What?" Arthur asked stiffly. "But they just met."

"I know," Gwen said, nodded.

"I should go," Arthur said. "Nice talking to you, Guinevere."

"You too, Sire." Gwen curtsied as Arthur made his leave. It couldn't be true, Arthur thought. After all, according to his dream, the woman was a troll. He had to tell his father, regardless of whether or not he would be believed. So Arthur walked and walked until he got straight into the throne room. To his dismay, the Lady Catrina was with his father.

"Arthur," Uther greeted cheerily. "Is there any news?"

"No," Arthur said. "Nothing... I'm just... taking a walk."

"A walk?" Uther questioned.

"Yes," Arthur stated. "Talk to you later..." Arthur then backed out of the room and took a deep breath. He had to somehow find a way to talk to his father without the Lady Catrina being present. Arthur somehow knew that it wouldn't be easy.

* * *

It was a couple of days later. Arthur hadn't had any nightmares lately. In fact, he couldn't remember even one dream. However, things were getting stranger at the castle. The other night, Arthur had caught Merlin in his room, looking at the window, doing what Arthur believed was spying on the Lady Catrina. The thought made Arthur's skin crawl. Sure, Arthur could understand. On the outside, she was a beautiful woman, but Arthur kept remembering his dream. The disgusting eating habits, the skin, the grubby hands, the tusks... Arthur shuddered. He knew his dream was right. He could feel it. It didn't help matters that his father's wedding to said woman was that very day.

Arthur was in his chambers, getting ready for the wedding when Merlin suddenly entered his room.

"Arthur?" Merlin questioned. Hearing Merlin's strange tone, Arthur turned around.

"What is it?"

"Arthur, I'm going to tell you something. It's not going to be easy."

"Right..." Arthur frowned, wondering what on earth this could be about.

"It concerns the Lady Catrina."

"You're not using my chambers to spy on her again."

"Oh, no. Trust me. I saw everything I needed to see."

"I'm sure you did!" Arthur laughed.

"Arthur..." Merlin paused. "She's a troll." Arthur froze mid-action. Did he just hear that right? He turned to look at Merlin.

"Would you repeat that?"

"She's a _troll_." Merlin repeated. Arthur stared at his servant. How did Merlin know? The bigger question was, should he tell Merlin that he already knew? "Sire, I know this sounds crazy, I mean, I normally wouldn't even believe me, but-"

"I believe you." Arthur said simply, cutting Merlin off. Merlin's eyes widened.

"You do? But why?"

"I have my reasons," Arthur stated. "Now tell me everything. How you found out, for starters."

"Um..." Merlin said. "For one. Jonas. You know Jonas? I saw... he has a tail."

"A tail?" Arthur was perplexed. That part didn't make it into his dream.

"Yes. A tail. Green with a fork in it."

"Go on," Arthur urged.

"And that night when you caught me in your chambers... I saw the Lady Catrina... in troll form."

"I see," Arthur said, standing up. He had a feeling that Merlin was holding something back, but he let it slide. "Well, we'll just have to find a way to stop this wedding."

"You're being awfully accepting," Merlin said with a frown. "That isn't like you."

"People change," Arthur said quickly.

"Right," Merlin said hesitantly.

"I doubt my father would believe anything I have to say, so I don't know what to do next."

"Gaius already talked to King Uther with no luck," Merlin said. That reminded Arthur that Gaius had previously asked to speak to him about something, but had never got around to it.

"We'll just have to try," Arthur said. Merlin nodded.

* * *

It didn't go well. The wedding had happened. Uther had restrained Arthur when he wouldn't let up about the troll thing. Arthur had told Merlin he would handle it because he didn't know what Uther would do to Merlin. Arthur knew that Uther wouldn't do anything severe to his own son. But Merlin, on the other hand... Arthur didn't want to think about it.

Arthur was in his chambers, thinking about what to do next when he heard a knock on his chambers' door.

"Come in," Arthur called. The door opened and Gaius stood. Arthur sat up straight. "Come in, Gaius."

"Yes, Sire." Gaius came in and closed the door shut. "I wish to speak with you about recent happenings. I meant to approach you earlier, but with the wedding and everything, I couldn't find the time."

"Of course," Arthur said. "What about the recent events?"

"Why do you think that the Lady Catrina is a troll?"

"Merlin told me," Arthur stated. It was a half truth.

"You knew before Merlin told you." Gaius said. "Or else you wouldn't have gone along so easily with what he said. Remember Valiant?"

"That was different," Arthur tried to argue. "I barely knew Merlin then."

"That's true, but I do think that you still already knew." Arthur felt his skin tingle under Gaius's gaze.

"And why do you say that?" Arthur questioned.

"The fire and the knights," Gaius said. "Also Merlin told me about the incident with your door."

"You think that they are related?" Arthur asked.

"Yes," Gaius said.

"Do you have a suspect in mind?" Arthur asked, getting a little excited.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Gaius said. "Did you ever think, Arthur, that the fire was accidental and that nobody was trying to kill you?"

"But the investigators ruled out the fire starting naturally."

"I never argued the contrary."

"Gaius, please tell me what exactly you mean."

"The fire was most likely started by magic, but by accident. Not on an attempt of your life."

"What?" Arthur asked. "But that doesn't make any sense. Who would accidentally start a fire using sorcery in my own room?"

"Are you still having nightmares?" Gaius asked.

"Yes," Arthur said hesitantly. "The drafts you give me don't seem to be helping anymore."

"Well that settles it." Gaius said. "Have you ever considered that maybe, you're the one who started the fire, slammed the door, and caused the knights to fly backwards?" Arthur felt really confused.

"Just what are you trying to say, Gaius?"

"I think maybe that you have magic, Arthur."

* * *

**TBC!**

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter so soon! Haha.**

**I just wanted to say that I apologize if the time-line of the episode is a little off. I did my best. Also, some of the dialogue in this chapter between Merlin and Arthur came straight from the episode (2.05 - Beauty and the Beast Pt 1)**

**If anyone wants a specific episode from season 2 (or 3) covered in this story, let me know and I'll do my best to include it! Otherwise I may skip some. I already plan on doing The Witchfinder. :)**

**Also, thank you so much for the reviews and story alerts! You guys are so nice! ^_^ I'm glad you like my story so far and I hope I don't disappoint!**


	6. Chapter 5

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

"Excuse me?" Arthur stared at Gaius, eyes and mouth open. "What did you just say?"

"I said that I think you might have magic, Arthur."

"Magic?" Arthur shook his head. "I don't have any magic, Gaius. If I did, surely I would know about it."

"It's possible that individuals born with magic don't actually develop it until later in life."

"What are you talking about? You can't be born with magic... you study and learn to do it."

"That's not true," Gaius said. "Yes, most sorcerers and sorceresses study and learn to do the magic, but even they must possess some skill, or magical ability on their own. Some are just simply born with magic. Some of those are able to use it since birth, but in some it doesn't develop until later in life, like I suspect in you."

"How do you know so much about magic?" Arthur questioned.

"It's my duty, Sire." Gaius said calmly. "I must know these things in case of a magical ailment."

"Oh, certainly." Arthur said. "But you're mistaken, Gaius. I don't have any magic."

"Are you sure?" Gaius questioned. "Has anything strange started happening to you?" Arthur didn't say anything so Gaius continued. "And there was the thing about Lady Catrina. You knew about it before Merlin told you."

"Okay," Arthur said. "I'll tell you, but you _can't_ tell anyone else. I'm serious_. Not even_ Merlin."

"I understand." Gaius said. "I won't tell."

"Okay. So the nightmares I've been having... they have been coming true."

"I thought it might be something like that," Gaius said.

"It started with that creature," Arthur said. "I dreamt about it and then it was there. Father never did find out who killed it. Do you know?"

"Not as such," Gaius said with a slight cough. Arthur frowned. "Should it matter? It was an evil creature, now it's dead."

"I suppose," Arthur said.

"Continue. What other dreams had come true?"

"Well... the thing with Cedric and Segan." Arthur said. "Also a few other random things that had no significance. And then I dreamed about my father marrying a troll."

"Yes," Gaius sighed. "We'll need to do something about that."

"You think?" Arthur groaned. "Well, even with the dreams, it still doesn't mean that I can do magic. It must be someone else."

"Sire, have you been feeling the same? Physically?"

"Physically? Well, yes. I have been feeling more energized lately, but I don't think it's anything noteworthy."

"Energized? How so?"

"I'm not sure." Arthur frowned. "Just that I feel that there's an energy inside me that wasn't there before." Arthur paused, looking at Gaius's expression. "No... no. You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid I might be right, Arthur." Gaius said. "I think we should do a little test just to make sure."

"Okay," Arthur managed. "How?" Gaius silently contemplated this for a moment.  
"I'm not entirely sure this will work, but just focus on doing something with your new energy. Like maybe knocking over a bucket."

"I'm not sure..." Arthur was hesitant.

"Just try it," Gaius insisted. Arthur sighed and nodded. If this was going to be the thing that determined whether he had magic or not, Arthur was going to do it. Arthur moved his gaze around the room until it settled on a bucket that was sitting on a table that Merlin was using to wash his floor. Arthur stared at the bucket and imagined it knocking over. Arthur focused on the bucket with his energy and he felt a tug in his mind, and then the bucket zoomed off of the table and clattered to the far corner of the room. Arthur took a step back and wanted to collapse.

"I did that," Arthur said aloud. "I did that."

"Yes, Sire." Gaius said. "You did."

"But I couldn't have," Arthur said. "I can't have magic. Magic is evil. My father... my father... he hates magic. What would he do to me?"

"I'm unsure as to what your father would do if he found out that his only son had magic."

"You mustn't tell anybody, Gaius. I'm serious."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sire."

"Thank you," Arthur breathed, feeling a tad bit better. "But what do I do about it?"

"I'm not sure, Sire." Gaius said. "You'll just have to try to keep it secret for now."

"But how?" Arthur said. "The door, the fire... the knights. If those were really me than how can I keep it secret if things like that keep happening?"

"You'll have to learn to control it," Gaius said.

"Uh huh," Arthur said. He didn't know how to do that. He would just have to find a way.

"Sire," Gaius said as he turned to walk away. "You may feel like it now, but you're not as alone as you think." He then bowed and left the room, leaving Arthur to wonder just what he was talking about.

* * *

**TBC..**

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter!**

**To answer a reviewers statement about Arthur's dreams and the inconsistency: I'm sorry, I should have worded that differently. When Arthur said he hadn't had any dreams lately, he meant the last few nights. When he told Gaius the draft wasn't helping and he was still having nightmares, he meant in general. Hope that sums it up alright.**

**Thanks for reading! ^_^**


	7. Chapter 6

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

It turns out that Arthur didn't have to do anything regarding the Lady Catrina. Her true nature was revealed oh so conveniently at the crowning ceremony. However, he still had to fake being dead so his father would break out of the enchantment that the troll had him under. Everything worked out for the best, though. For that situation, that was. Arthur still had a problem. He had _magic_. He was able to use magic. Since Gaius had told him about it, and Arthur had thrown a bucket across the floor with his magic, Arthur had found himself struggling to cope with the information. Somehow he had managed not to do anything unintentionally with the magic such as start fires, but that didn't ease his mind much. The thought that was on the forefront of his mind was _'What would happen if Father found out?' _Surely he wouldn't kill his own son for magic use. It's not like Arthur was using it anyway.

Arthur was out of sorts and Gaius wasn't being very helpful on the matter. He had only kept trying to convince Arthur that magic wasn't evil and to expand and learn about the extent of his powers. As the only one who knew about it, Gaius was the only one that Arthur could confide in. Gaius had previously told Arthur on more than one occasion that he wasn't alone, but Arthur didn't fathom what Gaius meant by that. Of course he was alone. Gaius didn't have magic.

Presently, Arthur was talking with Morgana about a matter concerning another kingdom. Arthur was barely listening. Instead, he was lost in his thoughts.

"Arthur?" Morgana questioned. "Arthur!"

"Huh?" Arthur snapped his head up.

"Are you listening to a single word I'm saying?"

"Yes." Arthur said.

"Really? Then what did I just say?"

"..."

"Fine. I'll bite. What's troubling you?"

"What?" Arthur sat up straighter. "Nothing."

"Come on. Something's obviously on your mind, so just spit it out." Arthur hesitated, but decided on a half-truth.

"Fine. I was thinking about magic."

"Magic?" Morgana looked surprised. "What about it?"

"Do you think it's evil?" Arthur questioned.

"Of course not," Morgana replied immediately. "It's how the person chooses to use the magic. It's the person that's evil, not magic in itself. Why, do you think it is?"

"I don't know," Arthur said quietly. "I know that my father is wrong to kill all sorcerers, evil or not, but-"

_ARTHUR PENDRAGON_

Arthur stopped mid-sentence. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Morgana asked.

"Someone just said my name. Did you hear it?"

"No. I didn't hear anything."

"But someone just said my name..."

"We're alone here, Arthur." Morgana said, confused. Arthur looked around. They were in Arthur's chambers and the door was closed. Nobody but Arthur and Morgana were there. Merlin was in the armoury, polishing Arthur's armour.

"I must have been hearing things then," Arthur said.

"Must've," Morgana chucked. "As you were saying... I'm glad you don't feel as Uther does about magic. He killed so many innocent people..."

"You won't tell anyone about this conversation, will you?" Arthur questioned.

"Of course not." Morgana said. "Uther would have us both locked up." Arthur didn't reply to her, just stayed silent.

_ARTHUR PENDRAGON_

Arthur jumped up.

"There it was again!" Arthur almost yelled. "Who's there?"

"Arthur!" Morgana stood up again. "What's going on?"

"Someone's calling out my name. I can hear them!"

"I didn't hear anything," Morgana said.

"I did! I swear that I heard it. Someone called my name. 'Arthur Pendragon.' Don't tell me you didn't hear it! It was loud."

"Arthur... maybe you should go talk to Gaius."

"I'm not crazy!" Arthur said with his voice raising. "I heard it."

"Sure you did, Arthur." Morgana said. "Go see Gaius."

"Fine," Arthur muttered, going out of his chambers. He was very frustrated right then. He was walking down the hallway at a brisk pace when he heard it again.

_ARTHUR PENDRAGON_

Arthur stopped.

"Who's doing that?" He yelled down the hallway. "Shut up and leave me alone!" Arthur turned a corner.

"Arthur?"

"What?" Arthur automatically snapped. He then looked up to see that it was Merlin. "Oh."

"Who were you just talking to?" Merlin asked, looking around them. "I don't see anyone..."

"The idiot won't show his face," Arthur grumbled.

"What's uh, going on?" Merlin asked.

"Someone keeps calling me, but they won't show their face." Arthur said.

"Calling you?"

"Calling my name."

"That's a little odd. Why wouldn't they show their face?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Arthur scowled. "But it was a loud call and Morgana didn't even hear it." Arthur saw Merlin frown. "What?"

"Nothing," Merlin said quickly. "It's just odd, that's all. You should tell Gaius about it."

"That's what Morgana said," Arthur replied. "But I'm not going crazy."

"Of course not, Sire," Merlin said in a teasing tone.

"I'm not!" Arthur pressed. Merlin shrugged.

_ARTHUR... PENDRAGON_

"Again!" Arthur yelled. "Who is that?"

"What?" Merlin looked concerned.

"Didn't you hear... never mind. I'm going to go see Gaius. Don't forget to muck out my horses." Arthur then continued walking down the hall, not staying to hear Merlin's response.

* * *

"Gaius!" Arthur called as soon as he approached the physician's chambers. Gaius came out of his room holding a cloth.

"What can I do for you?" Gaius asked.

"I don't know," Arthur said. "Both Morgana and Merlin told me to go talk to you."

"About what, Sire?"

"A while ago I heard someone call my name but they didn't hear it. More than once. They think I'm going crazy, but I _did_ hear it, Gaius."

"A voice calling your name?" Gaius asked. "In your head?"

"Yes," Arthur said. Gaius sighed.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped."

"Pardon?" Arthur questioned.

"It's about time that you visited the dragon."

"Dragon?" Arthur practically bellowed.

"Yes," Gaius said. "He's below the castle. That is who's calling you. Since the dragon is a creature of magic, he was able to call to you in your thoughts."

"What?" Arthur was having trouble processing this.

"Go visit the dragon," Gaius said. "You know the castle inside and out, don't you? Go to where the dragon is kept prisoner."

"I... I see." Arthur stated. "You're not going as well?"

"This is something you need to do on your own," Gaius said simply. Arthur nodded and left the room. This was unbelievable. A dragon? Arthur headed down to below the castle, grabbed a torch, and followed the path to where there was a ledge sticking out. Arthur gulped and took in a few deep breaths before heading over to the ledge.

"Hello?" he called, trying to keep a calm exterior. Nothing happened for a few minutes, so Arthur turned around to leave. Just then there was a really loud flapping sound. Arthur spun around to face a large, scaly beast. Arthur tried not to let his initial fear show on his face. The dragon opened it's mouth and grinned.

"Glad you could make it, Arthur Pendragon."  
"Who... are you?" Arthur asked.

"The Great Dragon," it replied. "The last of my kind."

"Why were you calling my name?"

"Because I wanted to meet you, Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot, and now, sorcerer."

"How did you know about that?" Arthur couldn't help but ask.

"I know everything, boy."

"If you know everything, then tell me why I have to have this magic?"

"Because it's your destiny," the dragon said with a grin.

"Destiny?" Arthur frowned.

"Yes. Your destiny is to stand beside Emrys, uniting the land of Albion."

"Emrys?" Arthur asked. "Who is that? A sorcerer?"

"You will find Emrys when the time is right," the dragon said with a smile. Arthur's mind was reeling. What exactly was going on?

"My... magic," Arthur said. "Will my father kill me for it, like he did so many others?"

"Uther will never change," the dragon said.

"You didn't answer my question!" Arthur complained.

"There are many possible futures," the dragon said. "But you are the one who decides what path to take." The dragon then got up and with wings beating, flew away. Arthur stared at the space where the dragon was previously occupying before walking away, out of the cave and back into the castle. Well, talking to the dragon was no help at all. Arthur wasn't even sure if he believed in destiny. And who exactly was Emrys?

* * *

Arthur was sitting in his chambers while Merlin was doing some routine tidy-ups. He had his head in his hands and he was more confused than ever.

"Sire?" Merlin questioned. "How did your talk go?"

"How do _you_ know about that?" Arthur shot straight up. Merlin frowned.  
"Are you okay, Arthur? You said you were going to visit Gaius."

"Gaius," Arthur said, sitting down again, taking in a breath. "Right. The talk went alright."

"So, are you going crazy?" Merlin asked with a smile.

"I think so," Arthur muttered under his breath so Merlin couldn't hear him.

"What?"

"Everything's fine," Arthur replied. "Just fine. I have a question, though..."

"Yes, Sire?"

"Do you believe in destiny?"

"Destiny?" Merlin immediately stopped what he was doing. "Yes, I suppose so. Why?"

"No reason," Arthur said, laying down to stare up at the ceiling. "No reason at all."

* * *

**TBC...**

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all the support! I really appreciate it! ^_^**


	8. Chapter 7

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

Arthur was doing a good job at keeping his magic secret. Arthur didn't know what he'd do if anyone else found out. He knew he could trust Gaius to keep the secret. It's not like the dragon could tell anyone either. Ever since his talk with the dragon, Arthur couldn't stop thinking about what it said about his destiny about someone named Emrys. Arthur asked Gaius about it once, but Gaius had avoided the question, making Arthur suspicious. He inconspicuously tried to find a person named Emrys living in Camelot, but had had no luck. He decided to put the matter aside for the time being, though, when another situation befell at Camelot. A woman had come to the castle and reported witnessing sorcery. She had claimed to see some smoke arrange itself into a shape. Arthur was hesitant to believe it, but he had no choice than to go along with his father's decision. He had promised his father that he would hunt down those responsible. However, his father had a different idea. He had announced that he would send for the witchfinder.

The witchfinder had arrived not long after that. Arthur was talking with his father, when the witchfinder made his presence known.

"Do you smell it? Do you smell it, Uther?"

"Aredian." Uther stated.

"It's all around us, the foul stench of sorcery. It's infected your great city like a contagion." Uther got up and went to welcome Aredian while Arthur stood there still, showing nothing but a polite smile on his face while his stomach flipped with nervousness on the inside. Logically, Arthur would have nothing to worry about. The King's son would be the last person anybody would suspect of sorcery. Arthur didn't feel any better about it though. Arthur returned his attention back to Aredian, who was currently staring Arthur right in the eye. Arthur calmly held the stare and nodded.

"I'm at your disposal, Aredian," Arthur said. "My knights will aid you in any way they can."

"You must be Arthur," Aredian said.

"I must be," Arthur replied, wondering what the witchfinder was thinking.

"You're a great warrior. The finest this kingdom has ever known."

"Thank you," Arthur said politely, all the while feeling paranoid that Aredian already knew something. After more conversing, Aredian started to leave the room.

"Aredian," Arthur had called out. "When do you begin?"

"I've already begun," the witchfinder replied, moving out of the room. Arthur stayed silent. That wasn't a good sign. There was no way that he could already know about Arthur's magic, was there?

* * *

Arthur went about his duties normally like any other day, knowing that the witchfinder was in town, bringing people into his chambers for questioning. He wondered if he should feel relieved that he himself hadn't been brought in.

When Uther announced a court meeting, Arthur didn't know what to think. During the meeting, Aredian had called upon a few witnesses who claimed to have seen sorcery with their own eyes. When one of the women started talking about frogs, Arthur had decided to tune out. Soon, the meeting was reaching a head. Arthur paid attention again, his nervousness coming back in full swing.

"The sorcerer," Uther said, standing up. "You have a suspect."  
"Oh, I do My Lord. And I regret to say they stand among us in this very room." Arthur clenched and unclenched his hands on his knees. There was no reason for Aredian to suspect him, Arthur told himself. No reason at all.

"My methods are infallible, my findings incontestable. The facts point to one person and once person alone." Arthur took in a huge breath of air, waiting for Aredian to continue. He then swung around and pointed at the crowd. "The boy, Merlin!" Aredian's words spun around in Arthur's head for a moment before they finally sank in.

"Merlin?" Arthur spoke aloud, wanting to laugh. "You can't be serious."

"This is outrageous!" Gaius yelled. "You have no evidence."

"Tools of magic cannot be hidden from me. I'm certain that a thorough search of the boy's chamber will deliver us all we need."

"Merlin?" Uther questioned after a pause.

"I have nothing to hide from him," Merlin responded. Arthur sank down in his chair.

"Very well. Guards, restrain the boy. Let the search begin."

* * *

Arthur was certainly not expecting to find anything in Merlin's room. In fact, he was quite surprised that Aredian suspected Merlin in the first place. Arthur stood and watched as Aredian and the knights tore apart Gaius and Merlin's home. When Sir Leon found the magical item in the place, Arthur was shocked to say the least. He grew even more shocked when Gaius admitted that it belonged to him. As expected, Gaius was taken into custody, and Merlin was released from the prison. Arthur couldn't believe that Gaius was a sorcerer.

"Did you know?" Arthur asked Merlin as he was attending Arthur later that day.

"Know what?" Merlin asked absently.

"That Gaius practiced magic."

"He doesn't," Merlin said.

"But he confessed that the amulet belonged to him."

"That was a mistake," Merlin replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Arthur asked.

"Nothing," Merlin said. Arthur frowned, but he let it slide. He knew that Merlin was very worried about his guardian.

"You're dismissed for the day," Arthur told Merlin. Merlin looked up at him, surprised.

"Thank you, Sire." He said, deciding not to question him. Arthur nodded as Merlin left the room. Arthur sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

* * *

There were a lot of surprising things that happened over the last few days, but the most surprising thing was the revelation that Aredian was the true sorcerer. Arthur wanted to laugh out loud at the sight of the toad coming out of the witchfinder's mouth. The good part was that his father didn't have to burn Aredian at the stake since he had already died while falling through the window.

Arthur was mostly happy that things around the castle were getting pretty much back to normal. Well, normal as they have been since Arthur found out about his magic. It was strange. Arthur had slowly figured out on his own that when he didn't use his magic for a long time, it built up inside of him until it exploded like it did with the knights and the fire. Nothing as big as those had happened though, it was mostly smaller incidents like a slamming door or a moving utensil. Because of this, Arthur took it upon himself to try and use a little of his magic at random times throughout the day to lessen the chance of these 'outbursts' as Gaius had called it. He mostly just moved small items back and forth across the table in his room. He figured out how to do that much. But he was afraid to try anything else because he didn't think that he would be able to control it.

At the present moment, Arthur was doing paperwork while Merlin was polishing his armour and swords. Arthur was thinking about the dragon again. And Emrys. He was frustrated that he wasn't getting anywhere in finding the person. Even Geoffrey, who knew everything, hadn't heard the name before. Arthur grumbled to himself and decided to just focus on his princely duties for the time being. He reached over to grab for the writing tool, but it was out of his reach. Without thinking, Arthur used his magic to make the object fly to his hands. It was when he started writing with it that he had realized what he done. He dropped it immediately and spun his head around to look at Merlin, to see if he had seen that. To Arthur's relief, Merlin was still busily scrubbing his sword. Arthur sighed. He would have to be more careful.

* * *

**TBC.**

* * *

**A/N: This was sort of a filler chapter, I know, but progress is coming soon, I swear!**

**Disclaimer: Also, most earlier dialogue concerning Aredian was taken from the actual episode. (2x07 - The Witchfinder)!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

Arthur was more frustrated than usual. He was having a flux where his magic was acting on its own accord against Arthur's will. During this time, Arthur had been locked in his chambers almost all the time, telling anybody who asked that he had come down with some sort of sickness. Arthur had Gaius confirm this to his father. Gaius was hesitant at first about lying to the king, but he finally agreed. Arthur was grateful for Gaius's help on the matter. He wished though, that he could talk to someone else about his magic. Gaius had said that he wasn't alone, but _of course he was._ No one else that he knew of had magic in Camelot. Arthur groaned. It was so tiring trying to keep it hidden. When the magic acted on its own accord, Arthur couldn't control it even if he tried; consequently, there was a greater chance of anybody with him to find out.

It was the middle of the day when Arthur decided that maybe he should visit the dragon again. Maybe the dragon would be able to help. Arthur got up and snuck down the corridors, making sure that nobody saw him. He grabbed a torch and walked quickly down to the cave where the dragon was being held.

"Dragon!" Arthur yelled. "Come here!" It was a few minutes, but the dragon obeyed Arthur's call and flew down. Arthur again was shocked at just how big the creature was. He shook his head.

"Young Pendragon, what brings you here?" The dragon asked with what Arthur could infer was a large grin.

"I need help," Arthur admitted. He rarely admitted it to anyone when he needed help, but he figured that the dragon was the exception. It's not like it talked to anybody else. Other than Gaius, Arthur assumed. Gaius had to have spoken to the dragon in order to tell Arthur about it.

"This is about your powers, I surmise?" The dragon answered.

"Yes," Arthur said. "I can't… I can't control the magic. I use it against my own free will. I don't have anyone else to ask. Gaius can't help me, he doesn't have magic, so I'm stuck with you…" The dragon let out a loud barking laugh at that.

"Oh, if only you knew…"

Arthur scowled. "What are you blabbing about? Can you help me or not?"

"I'm afraid I cannot," the dragon replied. "It is not _my_ place to guide you. I leave that to Emrys."

"What do you mean by that?" Arthur asked in a demanding tone. "Who is Emrys?" What was with this dragon?

"It is not my help you seek," the dragon replied again before flapping its wings and flying back up into the cave. Arthur cursed to himself. What was with that? He yelled a few curses up at the dragon before stomping out of the cave and back down the corridor. Arthur turned the corner quickly before literally running into someone and subsequently his torch went out.

"Ugh," another voice mumbled. Arthur took in a breath. Who else would be down here below the castle? Arthur looked at where the collision happened, but he couldn't see who it was in the dark.

"It was my fault," Arthur offered. "My apologies."

"_Arthur?_" the other person gasped, surprised. Arthur recognized that voice.

"_Merlin_? What are you doing here?" Arthur could swear that he heard a loud, booming laughter at that moment.

"I could ask you the exact same question," Merlin retorted. "Aren't you supposed to be ill?"

"I…" Arthur started, unsure of what to say. "Was taking a walk. What about you? Aren't you supposed to be mucking out my horses?"

"I finished," Merlin said quietly.

"Well, I'm sure I can think of something else for you to do. Come on," Arthur ordered before walking down the corridor. Arthur could hear Merlin's footsteps echoing his own after a moment. When they emerged into the light once more, Arthur turned to Merlin. "So what were you doing down there, huh?"

"Same as you," Merlin stated. Arthur immediately thought of the dragon.

"You… you…" Arthur frowned.

"Was taking a walk," Merlin finished. _Oh,_ Arthur thought. _Right._ That's what he had said, wasn't it?

"Fine," Arthur said. "I'll let it go."

"Thanks, _Sire._" Merlin said in a mocking tone under his breath. Arthur ignored him for the moment and they walked all the way to Arthur's chambers. Arthur listed off to Merlin a few tasks that he needed done. Merlin wordlessly got started. Arthur laid back on his bed and sighed. He felt like he was at the end of his rope. Gaius couldn't help him, the dragon couldn't help him… Emrys could? If only he knew how to find this Emrys. Of course, Arthur was hesitant about it in the first place. Emrys was more than likely a sorcerer themselves and Arthur didn't want to think about what would happen if his father found out that he had been talking to a sorcerer. Even if he was one himself.

"What's the matter?" Merlin questioned from his tidying up around Arthur's room. Arthur turned to face him.

"What?"

"You keep muttering and groaning to yourself. Is something the matter?" _Yes, I have magic and my own father would more than likely kill me for it, or at least lock me up._ Arthur scoffed. Like he could actually say it.

"I can't find someone," Arthur said instead.

"Find someone?" Merlin questioned. "You mean, like a… bride?"

"No," Arthur scoffed again. "That is not what I meant." A bride was the last thing on his mind right now.

"Then find who?"

"I have no idea," Arthur groaned. "I'm trying to find someone and all I know is their name. I have no idea where to start. No one else has heard of them."

"What's the name?" Merlin offered. "Maybe I could be of some help."

"I highly doubt it, Merlin, but I might as well tell you. I'm looking for someone named Emrys." At that, Merlin spun around to face Arthur and the bucket in his hand crashed onto the ground, spilling water everywhere.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled. "Look at what you did!" Merlin looked wide-eyed at the ground.

"S-sorry, Sire!" Merlin gasped, running to his supplies to get a towel. He knelt over and started sopping over the mess.

"So what was that about?" Arthur questioned, in a calmer tone. "Have you heard of Emrys before? You look rattled."

"N-no," Merlin said. "I just… erm… where did you hear about Emrys, anyway? Was it the druids?"

"The druids?" Arthur frowned. "No."

"Oh," Merlin said quietly. "I just, er, never mind."

"Merlin, why did you ask that?" Arthur questioned.

"Er, the druids know everyone?" Merlin tried.

"Are you telling me if I want to find Emrys I should talk to the druids?"

"No," Merlin said. "Err… maybe." Arthur stared at Merlin for another moment.

"Well, that's an idea I suppose."

"Are you being serious?" Merlin asked. "What's so important that you have to find Emrys for?"

"That's for me to know," Arthur said, not wanting to give anything else away by accident. Merlin stood up with the sopping wet towel.

"I'm going to go get another towel," Merlin said quickly before slipping out of the room. Arthur stared at the door. Was that very weird, or was it just him?

* * *

"I think Arthur knows," Merlin told Gaius later that day.

"About your magic?" Gaius asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Maybe," Merlin said. "He was asking me about Emrys."

"How did he hear of Emrys?" Gaius asked calmly.

"I'm not sure," Merlin replied. "He just asked me about it right out of the blue!"

"That doesn't mean he knows anything," Gaius replied. "He could have heard about the prophecy somewhere."

"Somewhere where?" Merlin asked, staring at Gaius as Merlin saw a flick of recognition pass through Gaius's eyes. "Gaius?" Merlin asked. "Do you know something?"

"No," Gaius said. "I don't know where Arthur would have heard about the prophecy of Emrys."

"Alright," Merlin said with a frown as he got up. "I should go back to Arthur's room, I have some more chores to do."

"Be diligent, Merlin." Gaius told him as Merlin headed out of the room. As he left the room, Merlin thought to himself. He knew that Gaius knew something that he wasn't telling him. Question is, what?

* * *

**TBC,**

* * *

**A/N; The dragon's voice is so hard to capture, but I hope I did okay!**

**Again, such nice reviews! I am so flattered that so many like my story! Thank you so much~! ^_^**

**Until next time!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

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**CHAPTER NINE**

* * *

It was getting harder and harder for Arthur to try and keep his magic under control. He had discovered that it seemed to act whenever he got angry. Which was a lot. So it was hardly a surprise when he was found out.

* * *

Arthur was riding on his horse, off into the forests. There was another creature wreaking havoc within their borders, so his father had sent him off to kill it. Along with Merlin, Arthur had taken four of his best knights. To Arthur, the creature didn't seem like a huge threat, but it had to be eliminated all the same. At this point Arthur just wanted to hurry and get it over with.

"I see it," Sir Leon had said, pointing over to a clearing in the forest. "It's on the ground over there." Arthur looked over and sure enough, the creature was lying on the ground, sleeping probably. He took a closer look, seeing that it looked like a very large bear.

"This is a great opportunity," Arthur said. "If the thing really is sleeping, then we can just go over there and kill it. Be very quiet."

"Sire," Merlin spoke. "I think it just wants us to think that… I think it's a trap."

"What would give you that idea?" Arthur responded. "Look, it's sleeping. Besides, that thing can't be _that_ intelligent."

"Whatever you say, Sire," Merlin said with a sigh. Arthur then quietly dismounted his horse, slowly drawing out his sword, motioning for the other knights and Merlin to do the same.

"Be very quiet. We'll go around and attack from the rear." His companions nodded so Arthur started back the other way to go around. When they neared the area where the creature slept, Arthur halted, raising his sword. The knights did the same. Then Arthur took off running into the clearing, slashing at the creature with his sword. Only his sword slashed through thin air. Arthur paused. The area was empty.

"Wasn't it right here?" Arthur questioned.

"I believe so," Leon said, motioning to the ground. There was a visible dent in the ground where it was obvious the creature was lying.

"Where did it go?" Sir Kay asked.

"You're asking me?" Leon replied, noticing that the other knight was looking at him.

"Shh," Arthur snapped, annoyed that his plan had failed. The knights had quieted down at once. Arthur turned around to go the other way when a piercing roar was heard. Arthur raised his sword, ready to attack just as Merlin muttered under his breath something that suspiciously sounded like 'I told you so.' Arthur was going to tell him to shut up, but the creature attacked first. Arthur, the knights and the creature started 'battling it out.' Here and there, they were able to get in a decent blow, but the creature was way too fast. Arthur was getting so fed up he was on the brink of using his magic. Not that he knew how to do anything but move objects. Arthur concentrated on his energy and was about to use it in any way possible when the creature jumped forward and smacked Arthur over with his claw. Arthur landed on the ground in a large 'thunk' and he felt his consciousness slowly draining…

* * *

It was then when Arthur woke up with a start, sitting up. He felt his magic flare up and then he took in a few deep breaths to see that his curtain was on fire. Arthur gasped, jumping out of bed and running to the curtain, trying to beat the fire out with a broom that was in the corner. When it was done, Arthur took in a big sigh of relief. He wanted to go see Gaius and tell him about this, but it was still the middle of the night so Arthur went back to bed. He closed his eyes, but sleep never came.

Soon, it was morning. Arthur lay in bed with tired eyes, thinking about the dream he had just had. Would it come true? Probably. Arthur groaned, getting out of bed and rubbing his eyes. He glared at nothing in particular, feeling very frustrated. He looked up at the room and felt his magic swimming inside of him. Arthur felt a surge of anger.

"Why me?" he yelled, not hearing the footsteps. "Why did this have to happen to me?" He shouted as he kicked something and his magic responded. His eyes turned golden and he threw the broom and a few other random items across the room with his magic. Arthur groaned out loud and then he heard a loud crash. Arthur felt as if his stomach dropped as he spun around, panicked, to see a wide-eyed Merlin and his breakfast lying on the floor.

* * *

**A/N: Really short chapter. I'll see if I can try to make them longer from now on. :)**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing~! ^_^**


	11. Chapter 10

**A KIND OF MAGIC**

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN**

* * *

"Why me?" he yelled, not hearing the footsteps. "Why did this have to happen to me?" He shouted as he kicked something and his magic responded. In his frustration, his eyes turned golden and he picked up and threw the broom and a few other random items across the room with his magic. It wasn't intentional on Arthur's part. The magic had just erupted along with his anger. Arthur groaned out loud and then he heard a loud crash and a gasp. Arthur felt as if his stomach dropped as he spun around, panicked, to see a wide-eyed Merlin and his breakfast lying on the floor.

…...

As Arthur stared at Merlin, his mouth opened and then it closed again, and he kept repeating the motion, unsure about what to say. He was sure he looked like a gaping fish. Merlin had to have seen that. He had to have just seen Arthur using magic. Merlin had dropped Arthur's breakfast and was staring at him in shock, after all.

"What did you see?" Arthur demanded. Merlin dropped down and started hurriedly picking up Arthur's breakfast.

"Er," Merlin said. "I'll… be right back. With a new breakfast." Merlin then quickly shut the door and walked away. Arthur stared. He started pacing his room. No, no, no, no. This was _not_ happening. He should have been thinking and calmed himself down! Now… was there a chance that Merlin didn't see everything? Maybe Arthur could explain his way out of the situation. It didn't seem possible at the time. Arthur tried to get himself to calm down. It's not like Merlin was the worst person to have found out. If he had told anyone they wouldn't believe him. He was just a servant. Not that Arthur really thought that Merlin would tell anyone, considering that Gaius knew, but it was just… Merlin was so…

"Arhg!" Arthur cried out in frustration. His mind was swimming with so many different thoughts. He sat down on his bed and stopped the pacing. First things first: wait for Merlin to come back. _If_ he came back. He had to, Arthur reasoned. It was his job as Arthur's manservant. If he didn't come back, Arthur would put him in the stocks. He had to come back though. Arthur sat in his bed, trying not to freak out. He felt his magic as energy, threatening to spill out again. Arthur tried using his mind to push it back in. There was no use freaking out until Merlin came back. Arthur sat for a while longer until Merlin finally did come back. He opened the door, and closed it behind him. Merlin walked forward.

"You're breakfast," Merlin said in a quiet voice.

"Thanks," Arthur said, unable to help the raspy tone his voice took. Arthur picked up his utensil and slowly started to eat his food. He stared down at the plate the whole time, finding himself unable to look his manservant in the eyes. After eating his breakfast in a tense silence, Arthur gave Merlin the empty plate.

"Arthur," Merlin spoke the first words.

"It's…" Arthur muttered. "What… what did you see?"

"Everything," Merlin responded calmly. Arthur stared at Merlin. How could he be so calm about this?

"It's not what it looks like?" Arthur tried, but Merlin just stared at him.

"Arthur," Merlin said. "What you did… it was magic?"

"No, it was a ghost." Arthur snapped, annoyed. "What else could it be?" Merlin sighed.

"Arthur… do you have magic?" he asked.

"I…" Arthur responded. "Yes. I have no idea why. It just… it just came out of nowhere."

"Out of nowhere?" Merlin questioned.

"Yes," Arthur said, feeling his anger ebbing. "That night my room caught on fire? Apparently it was me." Merlin's eyes widened with comprehension.

"That makes sense," he said. "I thought that was too odd." Arthur frowned.

"It's not like I did it on purpose."

"No?" Merlin stifled a laugh.

"Yes, I set my room on fire on purpose." Arthur replied sarcastically with a scoff. Then Merlin started laughing for real. Arthur was bewildered.

"What… what's so funny?"

"Nothing," Merlin said in between laughs. "It's just… you're the last person I would have ever thought to have magic."

"Yeah, that's what I told the stupid loud-mouthed dragon…" Arthur said without thinking. Merlin stilled. Arthur looked up to see Merlin's shocked expression.

"You… that one day we ran into each other…" he trailed off. "You were seeing the dragon?"

"You know about the dragon?" Arthur gaped. Merlin nodded quickly.

"Yes… I visit it too," he said.

"What?" Arthur could not believe this. "Why?"

"I…" Merlin said, stopping abruptly. Arthur noticed that Merlin looked conflicted.

"What?" Arthur demanded.

"Nothing," Merlin said quickly. "You know, Gaius mentioned the dragon before. I just wanted to… see it."

"Oh," Arthur said. That made sense. Gaius was the one who told Arthur about the dragon, after all. Why wouldn't he tell Merlin, his apprentice, about it? "So erm… about the magic thing…"

"How did you find out?" Merlin asked, interrupting. "Does anyone else know?"

"Gaius knows," Arthur said hesitantly. "He's the one who told me about my magic. He realized with all of the 'incidents' like the fire, my dreams, that one time with the knights…"

"Your dreams?" Merlin asked. Arthur inwardly cringed. He didn't mean to give that away.

"Er, yes. I have nightmares… some of them come true."

"Come true?"Merlin was startled. "Really?"

"Yes," Arthur replied. "That's how I knew about the troll…"

"Oh," Merlin said. "I mean, I should have figured it was something like that. With the fire and…"

"Why should you have figured it out?" Arthur asked with a frown. "What do you know about magic?"

"Um," Merlin said, paling visibly. "It's hard to explain…"

"Well," Arthur said. "You're not going to tell anybody, are you?" Merlin laughed.

"Of course _not_. Even though I'm just a servant, you're my friend. I wouldn't tell," He said. "Besides, even if I wanted to, nobody would believe me."

"True," Arthur said, smiling a little. "Thanks."

"You don't need to thank me," Merlin said. "I mean, I-"

"No," Arthur said. "Thank you. I appreciate that. Just so you know, if the situation were reversed, I wouldn't tell anyone either." Merlin stilled in his motions again, looking at Arthur with surprise. He opened and closed his mouth.

"Do you mean that?" Merlin asked, looking serious.

"Yes," Arthur said sincerely with a nod. "You're my friend too." Merlin nodded, looking relieved.

"Well," Merlin said. "It's _not entirely_ a hypothetical situation…" Arthur frowned.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" What wasn't a hypothetical situation? Arthur's mind raced and then… _oh_. His head shot up until his eyes met Merlin's. "Wait," he said. "You can't mean… you…" he pointed at Merlin accusingly. Merlin nodded slowly. "You… have magic too?" Arthur was beyond confused. He had never saw this one coming.

"Yes," Merlin said with a sigh. "I'm not like you, though, I was born with it."

"Born with it," Arthur repeated. "Gaius told me that there were people who were."

"You… you're not mad?" Merlin asked. Arthur frowned.

"At what?"

"The fact that I have magic and kept it from you…" Merlin said.

"Well, I'm the same, right?" Arthur said. "If I was mad then I would be a hypocrite."

"But you're the prince. I'm just a servant. It's not the same at all."

"It's the same," Arthur pressed. "I know why you didn't tell me earlier, Merlin. My father. I know what he would do to you."

"That's nice of you, Arthur, but-"

"No," Arthur interrupted. "I get it. But I don't know what he would do to me if he found out about me."

"He wouldn't execute you," Merlin said with a frown. "You're his son."

"I honestly don't know what he would do," Arthur said. "I… we all know how much he hates magic."

"Yes," Merlin said in a quiet voice. "But let's not talk about that."

"Fine by me," Arthur replied. "The last thing I want is him finding out."

"Well, you've done a good job keeping it secret so far, right?"

"Well, not really. You found out."

"Other than that," Merlin said. "What was that, anyway?" Arthur thought back.

"Oh," he said, almost sheepish. "I was angry… the magic just seems to do things against my will sometimes, especially when I'm frustrated or angry."

"Really?" Merlin questioned. "That's interesting."

"Fascinating," Arthur replied sarcastically. "Especially since it's probably what's going to get me caught."

"So," Merlin said. "Against you will?"

"Yeah," Arthur said. "I mean, it seems to just build up and explode at the most inopportune moments."

"You need to learn how to control it," Merlin said. "You recent acquired the magic, right?" Arthur nodded. "Then of course you wouldn't know how to use it properly."

"I tried," Arthur said. "The only thing I know I can do intentionally is moving small objects."

"Hmm," Merlin pondered this for a moment before speaking. "I can maybe help you?"

"Help me?" Arthur questioned, the words foreign to his mind. "How would you be able to help me?"

"I'm not sure yet," Merlin said. "After all, your magic is probably different than mine, but it's probably the same in all of the major ways. I could probably help you learn how to control it."

"Are you sure?" Arthur was skeptical. Merlin was his only hope now, so he really wanted it to be true.

"I'll try," Merlin said. "First, there's something I should probably show you."

"What?" Arthur questioned.

"At Gaius' and my rooms," Merlin said. "Do you want to go?"

"Sure," Arthur said, leaving his room while Merlin fell into step a little ways behind him. Arthur wondered what Merlin wanted to show him in his room. As they got there, Merlin looked around for a moment.

"Gaius isn't here," Merlin said. "He's probably checking on a patient somewhere."

"Ah," Arthur replied. "He knows… right? About you?"

"Of course," Merlin said. "Also my mother knows. That's all. Oh, and Will did too…"

"Will?" Arthur questioned. "From Ealdor?"

"Yes," Merlin said. "He wasn't the sorcerer."

"Oh," Arthur said quietly. They stayed silent for another moment before Merlin walked into his quarters. He knelt down on the ground, looking for something. He then pulled out a large book. Arthur frowned. "What is that?" he asked. Merlin handed the book over to Arthur. Arthur took the book into his hands. "Is this… a magic book?" he questioned. Merlin nodded.

"Gaius gave it to me shortly after I arrived in Camelot."

"That was risky," Arthur murmured.

"I suppose," Merlin said. "I'm lucky I had it well hidden when the witchfinder came."

"Yeah," Arthur said with a laugh. "When he had accused you, I never believed it."

"Everything turned out okay though," Merlin said.

"You're lucky to have someone like Gaius," Arthur told him.

"I am," Merlin said. "I don't know what I would do without him." Arthur was quiet for a moment before handing the book back to Merlin. Merlin stared at the book for a few moments. Arthur started feeling a little uncomfortable in the silence. When Merlin spoke again, Arthur jumped.

"So," he said. "I said I would help you, right?"

"Yes, you said that," Arthur stated.

"Well, let's get started then, unless you have somewhere else to be?"

"No," Arthur said. "Nothing that can't wait. So what did you have in mind?"

"I think that maybe you should try some of the spells in this book," Merlin suggested. Arthur's eyes widened.

"What? But all I can do it move things and set my room on fire."

"You don't know what you can do," Merlin said. "You should probably find out. It might help you to control it if you know all you can about your magic."

"You're lucky," Arthur grumbled. "Having it since you were born."

"In a way, I guess," Merlin said. "Now, let's get started." Merlin opened the book to a random page and they began.

* * *

**TBC...**

* * *

**A/N: Again, thanks for all the support! You Merlin fans are so nice! ! ^_^**

**I apologize if any of the characters are at all OOC, this chapter or otherwise. I'm doing my best!**


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